CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – Chief William "Billy" Hanks, of the Christiansburg Volunteer Fire Department, accepted the Governor's Virginia Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year award on Saturday.
Hanks received the award at the the annual Virginia Fire and Rescue Conference, which was held in Virginia Beach.
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Criteria for the award is a “paid or volunteer fire chief that exhibits leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity, along with superior service to the public and a high level of contributions to the fire service as a whole,” according to the Virginia Department of Fire Programs’ website.
Hanks has served as a member of the CVFD since 1981, holding positions as a firefighter, engineer, lieutenant and training officer before becoming chief in 2009. He has also served as the town's fire marshal and emergency services coordinator for the past eight years.
He is a paid employee of the town, and currently oversees 40 volunteers and one other paid employee.
Hanks is a lifelong resident of Christiansburg.